The Goldendale Sentinel - Headlines & History since 1879

Vehicle prowls on the rise

Police Chief Reggie Bartkowski says he spoke too soon. On the heels of last week’s report, which outlined a decrease in crime for 2016—property crime in particular—Goldendale has been hit by a rash of vehicle prowls. Between Jan. 20 and 21, nine cars were broken into. Most of the crimes took place in a tight, two-block area along Burgen, Darland and Brooks streets.

Police believe the prowls were committed from 2:30 – 4 a.m. on Jan. 20, and were most likely the work of a single person. All but one of the crimes fit a pattern: the perpetrator selected unlocked cars, rifled through glove boxes and center consoles, left the car doors open and ran from the scene. This last detail was...